Setting Up Your Tropical Fish Tank – Steps 6 To 10
Setting up a tropical fish tank can be successfully achieved if you follow a multi-stage process. It can be broken down into ten steps, with steps 6 to 10 explained in detail here; water quality, aquarium plants,fitting out your aquarium, selecting healthy fish and adding fish to the tank.
6. Water Quality
The scale is logarithmic meaning that a pH of 4 is ten times more acid than pH 5. Distilled water is neutral, at the half way point of pH7.
Hard (alkaline) water will exist when water has for example flowed through limestone rocks (calcium rich) and soft (acid) water will occur after contact with decaying vegetation.
Domestic water is directly not suitable for the aquarium due to the chlorine content and proprietary products can be used for de-chlorination, before use.
Different species will have preferred conditions for both pH and hard/soft water. This may need to be considered when you select your range of fish and there are products available to enable you to adjust the hardness or softness of the water.
7. Aquarium Plants
Aquarium plants are multi-functional. They provide the necessary oxygen, they absorb the nitrate by-products, help reduce algae, provide hiding places, they look good and even act as food for vegetarian fish.
There are artificial plants available but you do not want to use them exclusively, although they are handy when waiting for real plants to establish themselves.
If your water is hard then a commonly used plant is the Amazon Swordplant (Echinodorus paniculatus) which has types with broad leaves or narrow ones. For the back and sides of the aquarium you can use Vallisneria with its fine leaves and there are several varieties to choose from.
For a quick growing plant you could try Sagittaria that is also a good supplier of oxygen.
The Cryptocoryne species are excellent in soft water areas, have a range of sizes are slow growers and do not need lots of light, for example the Cryptocoryne wendtii. Cabomba caroliniana is fast growing, good at supplying oxygen and can be positioned at the sides and back. The genus Ludwigia has over seventy species and is decorative and a food source.
Generally speaking you will want to plan out your planting as a sketch on a piece of paper with the smaller species at the front with progressively taller plants towards and at the back. You can add plants gradually especially if you are on a budget. In time your plan will be complete and you will then find yourself carrying out regular trimming to keep your aquarium neat and not looking overgrown.
8. Fitting Out Your Aquarium
Position your aquarium away from direct sunlight and extremes of temperature. Ensure the location can take the weight and is structurally sound. Place the tank on a bed of polystyrene to ensure a smooth base.
If using this type of filter, put the undergravel filter on the bottom of the tank and add gravel substrate to a depth of 2 to 3 cms from front to back. Add rocks to maintain the gravel outline.
Position the heater/thermostat at the side and fix with clips or suction pads. Install filters.
Connect air pump to tube and anti-siphon valve and air stone to air line; place in tank (or in ar lift tube for undergravel filter). Use rocks and plants to hide the equipment.
Place a cup on the substrate and fill the tank by pouring water in the cup so it does not disturb the gravel. Leave about 2 inches space from the top of the tank. Locate your plants with the taller ones at the back and sides. More bushy plants can go in the corners and smaller species near the front.
Top up the tank and fit the cover incorporating the lighting system and various tubes and lines for the thermometer, heater, filter etc.
Connect all the equipment and switch on. Change the air flow and water flow rate through the filter accordingly.
It will take a few hours to reach optimum temperature and leave for seven to fourteen days, monitoring the temperature and looking out for leaks, faulty equipment etc. And this gives the system time to settle and the plants time to establish themselves.
9. Selecting Healthy Fish
Before you buy your fish spend some time deciding on the species you want to have and their particular physical size and living requirements. Bigger fish may eat smaller fish, some like to be in shoals of their own kind, some are more aggressive towards others, males of some species may continually fight each other.
Obviously if you intend to breed fish then you need to get a male and female of the species and telling the difference is not always easy. Start off with fish that you know will get on together and are easy to maintain and also less expensive.
Buying from a fish only pet store may be the best option as the staff are likely to be more knowledgeable.
Look for ones that quarantine fish before sale, helping ensure you buy a disease free pet. Check out the tanks the fish are in that you want. Is the water dirty? Are the other fish in good condition?
Look out for the following signs of unhealthy fish: swollen stomachs,cotton wool like threads,white spots, scales sticking out from the body, abnormal swimming patterns, unusual positions (catfish and others tend to do this as normal behavior), jagged fins, milky eyes.
10. Adding Fish To The Tank
When you transport the fish home from the store, ensure it is in a plastic bag placed in a foam container to minimize the water temperature loss. There should be more air volume than there is water in the bag and the fish should not be too confined.
Before you introduce your fish into your aquarium give some thought as to whether you want to use a quarantine tank for a while to see if your fish develop any disease. If not, place the fish still in the plastic bag in the tank so that the temperatures can equalize and avoid sudden temperature changes that can kill the fish. This can take a couple of hours.
Look out for the bag coming into contact with the lighting and melting so you might want to turn the light off. After the two hours release the fish, give it some time to look around its surroundings then turn the light back on and feed it. This will help it settle down after such a traumatic experience.
Photos attribution: emdot kenpei nate
